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<p>We know that trees outside woodlands, including trees in urban areas, parks, and
along roads and footpaths can provide many environmental benefits for people<del class="ministerial">,
including improved air quality</del>.</p><p><ins class="ministerial">There is strong
evidence that healthy, well-chosen and well placed urban trees can provide a large
range of benefits valuable to the economy and to people. This includes a relatively
small but beneficial impact on urban air quality. However, current evidence suggests
that trees would not be enough to solve the air quality problems at a city scale. </ins></p><p>Through
the Nature for Climate Fund we are boosting the numbers of trees near to where people
live<ins class="ministerial">, investing millions of pounds in tree planting and in
the skills to incorporate trees in the right places to generate maximum benefits.</ins>
<del class="ministerial">including:</del></p><p><del class="ministerial">· up to £4.4
million available to local communities through the Local Authority Treescapes Fund
to plant and establish new trees;</del></p><p><del class="ministerial">· providing
almost £8 million of financial support to local authorities to increase their capacity
and specialist skills to plant and manage trees, through the ground-breaking Woodland
Creation Accelerator Fund;</del></p><p><del class="ministerial">· planting up to 150,000
large trees in towns and cities across England using the £6 million Urban Tree Challenge
Fund;</del></p><p><del class="ministerial">· contributing to the £9 million Levelling
Up Parks Fund, which will create over 100 new parks to increase access to green space
in urban areas.</del></p><p>Additional funding is being provided to support tree growers
and seed suppliers across England, to help meet the growing demand for trees. We have
developed capital and innovation grants for the sector that will encourage the adoption
of mechanisation and automation, and help enhance the quantity, quality, diversity
and biosecurity of domestic tree production.</p><p>Alongside this, Defra has been
working closely with the Ornamental Horticulture Roundtable Group who have published
an action plan 'Unlocking green growth: A plan from the ornamental horticulture &
landscaping industry'. This sets out the industry's potential contributions to tackling
some of the environmental challenges facing the UK, including through the use of a
greater proportion of British-produced plants and trees in public sector projects,
and the incorporation of more community green spaces within the urban planning process.
Where Government can help, we will work with the sector to help it take advantage
of the opportunities outlined in the action plan.</p>
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